


A Weird Sort of Relationship

by fanmoose12



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, i blame self-isolation for this, so it's basically the good old 'they've gone on expedition and one of them gets hurt', there's also some levi/petra but only if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23567575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanmoose12/pseuds/fanmoose12
Summary: Ever since she joined Captain Levi's squad, Petra always wondered about the nature of relationship betwen Captain Levi and Squad Leader Hange. Just like them, the bond between Petra's two superiors seemed to be extremely abnormal.When Captain Levi gets hurt during an expedition, Petra finally gets her chance to find out what exactly Captain Levi and Hange Zoe feel for each other.
Relationships: Hange Zoë/Levi
Comments: 17
Kudos: 261





	A Weird Sort of Relationship

Petra couldn't believe it. She thought... She thought she was better than this. She thought she wasn't a weak little girl she was before. After she became a member of Squad Levi, after Captain Levi _personally_ choose her to be in his squad, she thought she forgot what fear was. Petra thought that fear had turned into determination to eliminate all titans and free the humanity.

But when a titan came out of nowhere and began charging on her, Petra froze in cold, merciless fear. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. The only thing she was able to do was to stare at the enormous beast with unblinking eyes. As in slow motion, she watched as its hand came to snatch her of a tree branch and there was nothing Petra could do. Even if she tried to get away, she wouldn't be fast enough to release her cables. Fear was holding her so tightly in its grasp, she didn't immediately notice a figure hurrying to her aid. Only when she heard a loud yell, did Petra manage to snap out of her daze.

"Petra, goddamn it, get away from him!"

Petra looked to the sound of the voice and saw her Captain, who was approaching the titan. Captain was also looking at her. It was his mistake. Because as Levi's eyes were focused on Petra, he didn't notice a titan's hand coming at him.

Petra couldn't stop herself from crying out when she watched her Captain being grabbed by a titan. Still paralyzed, she watched how her Captain's blades glinted as he tried to free himself. Before he could hack himself out of titan's hold, the beast understood Levi's intent and threw him on the ground. Only the horrifying sound of her Captain's body hitting the ground made Petra finally start moving. She released her blades and approached the Titan, quickly slicing its neck. She didn't wait for him to completely evaporate as she hurried to her Captain.

"Captain!" Petra fell to her knees, grabbing Levi's hand and checking his pulse. He was alive but unconscious.

Petra frantically looked around the forest, searching for her teammates. She saw Oluo, Eld and Gunther fighting with a titan a good distance away. Petra guessed that others scouts were even further then her squad, they've probably reached the outpost by now. Petra and her team were deep in the Forest of Giant Trees and there was no way anyone would notice the signal flare. And Petra doubted the other scouts would start searching for them soon. So, she was on her own for now.

Petra scanned her surroundings again, this time looking out for approaching titans. There didn't seem to be any threat nearby and she let herself relax. Petra took a deep breath, she could do this, even if she fucked up before, she wouldn't repeat her mistake. Captain Levi chose her to be in his squad, he believed in her strength. Petra couldn't betray his trust.

With slightly trembling hands, she began to carefully survey Captain's body for injuries. Petra laid Levi’s body on his back and gently turned his face to the side. She saw blood, a lot of blood, oozing from the wound. As she stared at the amount of blood that was painting her Captain’s face, Petra’s mind was filling with unwanted, terrifying thoughts. What if he had a concussion? What if some part of his brain was damaged? The trembling in her hands intensified and her breathing became irregular. Petra felt the beginning of a panic envelope her. But she stubbornly shook her head, refusing to fall victim to the terror once more. With another deep breath, she continued her inspection.

Captain's left leg and arm were positioned weirdly and with dread settling in her stomach, Petra guessed they were broken. That meant Captain wouldn't be able to use his ODM gear or even walk. Petra knew she wouldn't be able to transport Levi to safety alone. She needed to wait for her teammates to return and in the meantime, she resumed her check-up.

Levi's torso seemed unharmed, but Petra couldn't check the state of his back. To thoroughly examine it, she would need to take off Captain's harness and shirt and she didn't have time for this. She didn't feel any blood and for now that had to do.

As she was finishing, she heard approaching footsteps. She whipped her head around and saw Oluo, Eld and Gunther, who were running towards her. Petra didn't think she has ever been more happy and relieved to see them than now.

"What happened?" Eld asked, his eyes widening when he saw the state of his Captain.

Petra's eyes began to fill with tears as she recalled the recent events. With a shake of her head she willed them away.

"A titan came at me, I couldn't move and Captain... Captain had to save me. It's my fault he's like that now." As hard as she tried, Petra's voice broke down on the last word. She quietly sobbed and looked away, hoping that her teammates would forgive her weakness. Or at least wouldn't make fun of her for it.

"Oi, stop it, Petra," it was Oluo's voice and he crouched down next to her, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder and bringing her closer to him. "C'mon, it happens to all of us. And I'm sure Captain Levi would be fine, I mean it's our Captain Levi!"

"His arm and leg are broken," Petra pointed out, getting away from Oluo's touch. She didn't need _his_ sympathy.

"Oh, that complicates things," Oluo scratched his chin and looked at Eld and Gunther, silently asking for their opinion.

Before they could say anything or before Oluo managed to come up with some undoubtedly great idea, Levi slowly opened his eyes. His whole body was in excruciating pain. He tried to get up, but this action only intensified his discomfort. His squad stared at their Captain, afraid to say anything and not knowing how to help him. In the meanwhile, Levi grunted and cursed but managed to sit up, his back now pressed against a tree. Every part of his body was on fire and he was panting heavily, but now he wasn't laying down with all of his subordinates staring at him like he was fucking dying.

"So that son of a bitch threw me down?" Levi asked.

Petra silently nodded, not trusting her voice. Her head was bowed and her eyes cast to the ground, ashamed of looking at her captain. It was her fault he was so hurt.

"Did you finish that bastard, Petra?"

Again, Petra nodded, still not looking up.

"Good job," Levi said with pride in his voice.

Petra raised her head to stare at him in shock. He wasn't seriously praising her right now, was he? Petra's mistake almost got him killed!

"Captain," she cried out. "I'm so sorry, I-"

"Don't." Levi sharply cut her off. "Don't be sorry, it was me who didn't see him, it was my fault and not yours."

Petra didn't agree with her Captain in this matter, but she didn’t dare to argue with him. Even though, she was still ashamed of her mistake, she couldn't stop a small blush that appeared on her cheeks and a warm feeling that spread through her upon hearing Captain’s kind words.

"What should we do, Captain?" Gunther asked.

"You go to the outpost and join the others." Levi calmly replied.

" _What?_ " His subordinates all asked in unison. They stared at their Captain in shock. He wasn't really ordering them to abandon him, right?

"Captain, we can't possibly leave you behind!" Eld protested.

"Yes, you can," Levi's tone was final. "How are you going to carry me? Our horses are with the rest of scouts, I can't use my ODM gear and I can't walk. So you go and regroup with the others and then return for me with the rescue party."

"But Captain!" Oluo argued. "The outpost is a few hours away from here! You can't stay alone for so long!"

"Of course, I can," Levi grumbled. He was getting tired of this argument. They were his soldiers, his subordinates, why weren't they obeying his orders?

"But what if titans appear?" Gunther asked, desperate to change the mind of his captain.

"I said I will be fine," Levi forced through gritted teeth.

"At least, let someone stay with you," Petra pleaded.

"There is no need for that," he said trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. "Now hurry up and get going or else you will not be quick enough to catch up with the others."

Reluctantly, the members of Squad Levi got to their feet. As much as they loved their captain and wanted to keep him safe, they also respected him too much and couldn't disobey his order.

* * *

As she was moving through the forest, trying to be as quick as possible, Petra couldn't get the image of her Captain, lying on the ground, out of her head. It was wrong to describe Captain Levi with that word but he looked so fragile, so vulnerable. She cursed herself for leaving him. She should have been more stubborn, she should have stayed behind with him.

"Oi, Petra," Oluo shouted as he flew past her. "Stop it with a sad face. Captain will be fine. He's not called humanity's strongest for nothing."

As Petra tried to think of some witty comeback, she thought she heard some voices deep in the woods. One voice was louder than the rest and Petra thought it sounded very familiar. She tried to listen more carefully, but instead she heard Oluo's shout, right by her ear.

"Petra! Are you even listening to me?"

"Shut up!" Petra screamed as she landed on the tree branch. She looked around and then she noticed some movement a good distance away from where she stood. As she squinted, Oluo landed next to her.

"It isn't very polite to just shut people, you know," he grumbled.

Petra put her hand to his mouth.

"Shut up and listen!" She whispered. Oluo looked at her confusedly but did as she asked. Soon both of them heard it, clear as a day - a loud shout. No, not a shout, _a shriek_ , full of excitement and enthusiasm, and followed by a boisterous laugh. Petra knew only one person who could scream and laugh like that. Especially, during expeditions.

It looked like they were lucky, Petra thought with a small smile. They found a way to save their Captain. They found a person he would listen to.

* * *

When Petra joined Captain Levi's squad, she felt like the happiest person in the world. Her dreams had finally come true, all of her efforts had been paid off. Captain Levi chose her as one of the strongest soldiers in the whole Survey Corps and Petra couldn't have been more proud. Gone was the weak little girl, who cried when she fell and bruised her knees or who ran and hid in her father's arms when she saw something scary.

No, she wasn't that little girl anymore, she was strong and confident soldier, she stood tall next to her teammates, determined to fight for humanity.

During their trainings, Petra listened to her Captain carefully, followed through his every command. The trainings were hard and more often than not, Petra was so exhausted it was difficult to walk back to the barracks.

Oftentimes, they trained with the Fourth Squad. And while Petra liked the members of said squad well enough, their Squad Leader unnerved her a bit. Squad Leader Hange was nice, of course, but also very weird. There was something scary and inappropriate in her obsessions with titans.

Another thing that weirded Petra out was Hange's relationship with Petra's Captain. Hard as she tried, she couldn't understand the nature of it. Were they friends or did they hate each other? Squad Leader Hange seemed to like Captain Levi, she was one of the few people who were actually comfortable around him. Sadly, the same couldn't be said for Petra. She respected her captain and admired him, but she wasn't comfortable around him, not like Hange was. Even if Petra knew that deep down Captain was a good and kind person, his cold eyes scared her sometimes. But Hange was another matter completely, she joked with Levi and wasn’t afraid to tease him. Of course, the bespectacled Squad Leader was known for her friendliness with everyone, so maybe, Captain Levi was no exception?

Captain Levi, on other hand, seemed to be perpetually annoyed by Hange's antics. He scolded her hygiene and made a face of disgust whenever she stood close to him. However, when Hange occasionally linked her hand with his or wrapped her hands around his shoulders, Captain Levi never attempted to move away. And whenever Hange's experiments got too wild, he was right there with Hange's loyal assistant Moblit, ready to save the crazy scientist from any danger.

After a particularly intense training, Petra was hiding in the shadow, trying to get her breathing back. Their short break was caused by the argument that sparkled between Captain Levi and Squad Leader Hange. Captain deemed Hange's jacket as too filthy and now was trying to convince her to go and change. Needless to say, he wasn't very successful in persuading Hange.

Petra was watching their bickering with interest, when a hand wrapped itself around her shoulders. She looked to her right and saw Nifa.

Out of all Hange’s Squad, Petra liked Nifa the most. She was kind and funny and she was the only other girl Petra's age. It was no surprise when they became fast friends. Nifa joined Survey Corps earlier than Petra and she was more knowledgeable about their superiors, so she often told Petra all the juicy gossip.

"They sure are a pair weirdos," Nifa smiled as she stared at Petra's Captain and her Squad Leader. Captain abandoned his attempts to win Hange over with his words and now was trying to take the offending jacket off her. Squad Leader Hange tried to escape from him and her laugh was carried through the entirety of training grounds.

"Captain Levi isn't even half as crazy as Hange-san."

"Oi, Hange-san is not crazy," Nifa disagreed. Petra could hear some anger in her voice. Nifa’s sudden change in mood surprised Petra, but she guessed she understood her. If someone had offended Captain Levi, she'd get angry too. "Squad Leader may seem like a lunatic, but she's not. She just cares a lot about her work. She is actually super nice and she cares about us."

Petra nodded, thinking over Nifa's words. She thought that in a way their superiors were actually quite similar. Maybe, they both were hiding their true feelings. Captain Levi did it by acting cold and emotionless, while Squad Leader Hange tried to appear more cheerful than she probably was.

"And it's not like your Captain isn't a weirdo,” Nifa continued, bringing Petra out of her thoughts. “How many times did you clean the headquarters this week?"

Petra groaned, remembering the last time they had to scramble all the dirt from stables. It was worse than any training.

"See?" Nifa laughed. "He's a freak as well. Oh, and by the way, if Captain starts giving you any crap, just go to my Squad Leader, she'll smooth things over with him."

"Really?" Petra asked, bewildered.

"Yeah, it may not seem that way, but Hange-san has a lot of influence on him. One time, Captain got very angry with Moblit, he even screamed at him! But then Squad Leader found out about that and you know what? She made Captain apologize to him."

Petra stared at Nifa for a long moment, checking if the other girl was serious. There was no trace of mirth on Nifa's face, so what she told Petra must be true. Petra then turned her attention to Squad Leader Hange and Captain Levi.

In her attempts to get away from Levi, Hange slipped up on the dirt and fell down. Now Captain was crouching beside her, trying to clean all the dirt from her face with his handkerchief, while Squad Leader Hange laughed cheerfully. As she was watching them, not for the first time Petra wondered just what kind of relationship they had.

* * *

As Petra was flying towards the sound of Hange's voice, she felt relief racing through her veins. She was sure that Squad Leader Hange would be able to do what she herself couldn't. She would make Captain Levi see the reason and she would protect him from any danger.

As Petra and her squad were nearing Squad Hange, their leader turned around. When she recognized Petra and the others she waved at them with a smile.

"Greetings, Squad Levi!" she exclaimed loudly. Then she looked behind Petra, as though waiting to see someone else. Hange squinted her eyes, looking in the distance, but she still saw no one.

"Where is your Captain?" She asked in a much different tone of voice. A smile slowly faded from her face and she stared at the members of Levi's team with slight worry.

"He got wounded and can't move," Eld began, sparing Petra from retelling that story once again. She wasn't sure she could do it, not to Squad Leader Hange's face. When Petra saw the panic and fear reflect in her glasses, she felt shame settling in her insides. "He ordered us to join the rest of the scouts and forbade us from staying with him."

"That stubborn idiot," Hange sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "How bad are his wounds?"

"His leg and arm are broken and he hit his head pretty badly."

"Well, nothing too serious then," Hange turned her gaze on Petra. "Petra, can you show me where you left him?"

Petra nodded.

"Good, the rest of Squad Levi, follow my guys," Squad Leader Hange turned to her subordinates and started giving them orders. "Nifa, give me your med kit, Moblit, now you are in charge. Regroup with the others at the outpost and then come back for Levi and me with our horses, understood?"

When Moblit nodded with a determined look, Hange continued. "Be careful on your way there, try not to engage with the titan we've been following," Hange looked up, thinking if she had missed something. When she couldn't think of any more orders, she smiled at her squad. "Be safe."

Hange moved closer to Petra, ready to follow her. Before she left, Moblit shouted out to her.

"Squad Leader! Try not to do something stupid!" 

Hange turned around and flashed him a quick smile, followed by a wink.

"Can't guarantee that, but I'll try."

Petra heard an exhausted sigh from Moblit. "Good enough." He mumbled and then began leading his team towards the outpost.

Hange and Petra flew in the other direction.

* * *

As they were moving through the thick forest, Hange turned to look at Petra.

"How did Levi manage to hurt himself?" She asked curiously. Levi was always so vigilant, so careful during the missions. How could a titan get so close to him?

"A titan appeared out of nowhere," Petra started, deliberately not looking at Hange. She didn't want to tell her how stupid and weak she acted during that accident. "I... I got scared and I couldn't move and Captain had to save me. It is my fault he got wounded." It was getting hard to see because of the tears that started gathering in Petra's eyes. She quickly wiped them away, determined to continue her way.

"Petra, stop," Hange ordered and landed on the nearest tree. With confusion on her face, Petra obeyed and set down next to her.

Hange took a step towards Petra and laid her hands on Petra’s shoulders. Her kind eyes stared deeply into Petra's.

"It's not your fault that Levi got wounded, don't for a second think it is. He wouldn't want for you to blame yourself, so don't. I'm sure that he is as proud of you as he is of your other teammates."

"But he could have died saving me!" Petra tried to get away from Hange, but the other woman held her tightly. Tears had begun spilling from her eyes and Petra turned her face away from Squad Leader. She couldn't understand her, Petra was sure that Hange Zoe, the brightest soldier of the whole Survey Corps, had never felt as useless and weak as Petra did right now.

"Petra, look at me," Hange ordered softly. When Petra reluctantly returned her gaze to Squad Leader Hange's face, the older woman gave her a warm and reassuring smile. "Levi may look like an insensitive asshole with a stick up his ass, but cares about all of you very much. He believes in you and puts his trust in you. Even if he had died saving you, he would do so, because he thinks you are worth it. So don't blame yourself. You've made a mistake, sure, but don't let it bring you down. Learn from it and become better."

For a long moment, Hange continued to look at Petra, her gentle eyes and kind smile giving Petra the strength she needed. She felt a smile slowly appearing on her face as well. Petra wiped her tears away and stood straighter, her resolve coming back to her.

"Thank you, Squad Leader, that... That helped a lot."

Hange waved her off. "If you are ready, shall we continue?"

Petra nodded and with a smile still present on her face, she started moving, Hange following after her.

She thought of Nifa's words, how she told her that Hange was nice and cared about her soldiers. She could see it that now and she felt bad for feeling resentment towards Hange. She was a great soldier, strong not only physically but mentally, and there was a lot Petra could learn from her.

* * *

Soon they reached the clearing, where Petra and her team had left Captain Levi. As she observed him from a distance, it didn't look like Captain had been attacked or wounded any further. Before Petra could land next to him, Hange put a hand on her arm.

"It would be best if you go and join my squad now," she told Petra in the same gentle voice from before. "I know you want to help your Captain, but... Levi doesn't like to appear vulnerable in front of other people. With you here, dealing with him would be even harder than it usually is.”

For a second, Petra was taken back by Hange's words, but she quickly recovered. "Oh, yeah, alright," Petra agreed, nodding. "But you will help him, right?"

"Don't worry," Hange grinned mischievously. "I know how to handle Levi."

As Squad Leader Hange descended next to Levi, Petra didn’t immediately obey her order. She stayed behind for a while, hidden in the shadow, and watched the interaction between her Captain and Squad Leader Hange.

* * *

"Oi, you look like shit," Hange cheerfully announced as she landed next to Levi.

At the sound of her voice, Levi turned his head, briefly glanced at Hange and then groaned.

"So I'm already hallucinating, huh? I must have hurt my head pretty badly," he muttered to himself. "And of course, it's four-eyes of all people."

"Oi, Levi" Hange crounched next to him. "I hate to break it to you, but, well, I'm kinda real."

Levi squinted at her in suspicion. "That's exactly what a hallucination would say."

Hange chuckled. "Yeah, you have a point, but," she leaned in and gently touched Levi's cheek. "You can feel my touch, right?"

Levi nodded slowly. He stared at Hange with a mix of confusion and shyness. Now he was certain that Hange in front of him wasn't real. Real Hange would never get so close to him. Sure, she occasionally hugged him and ruffled his hair, but she had never done something so _intimate_. When her hand disappeared from his cheek, Levi felt a twinge of disappointment. Of course, that Hange wasn’t real, but she was so close to him and her hand was so warm on his cheek.

"Well, if you can feel my hand and you can evidently hear and see me and, I'm not sure if you can smell me-"

"I _can_ ," Levi interjected. "You reek of sweat, four-eyes."

Hange raised her arm and smelled under her armpit. Levi watched her with a look of pure disgust and horror.

"Yeah, you're right, I do smell a little,” she giggled. “So! It proves my theory! If your hallucinations were due to brain trauma, it would affect only one or two of your senses. For example, you would hear and see me, but you would not be able to feel my touch and especially you wouldn't be able to smell me.”

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Levi begrudgingly agreed. He didn’t know if he should feel more embarrassed now that he found out that he didn’t hallucinate Hange. He thought that he just imagined Hange being so close to him, which, well, he could at least explain _that_. His feelings towards Hange were complicated like that. But Hange _was_ real and she really did touch him and what should he make of that? “If you're actually real, then what the fuck are you doing here, Hange?"

"Well, my team and I were following a very peculiar abnormal, when your guys showed up. Told me that their stupid Captain ordered them to leave him behind. I had no choice but to come here and help your stubborn ass."

"Oh, so you've left your precious titans to come to my aid?" Levi raised his eyebrow. "I'm really touched, four-eyes."

"Shut up," Hange said, suddenly embarrassed. She busied herself with Nifa's med kit, not wanting to show her blush to Levi. It would only make his mocking worse.

After she found antiseptic and bandages, she grabbed Levi's face and turned it to the side, inspecting his wound.

"Well, it looks worse than it is" she commented as she withdrew from him. "Now follow my finger, please," she instructed as she raised her index finger and proceeded to move it from side to side. She hummed satisfyingly when Levi's eyes followed her every move. "Good, you don't have a concussion. Now we need to clean the wound," she took the antiseptic in her hands and squeezed it on a handkerchief. Then she took a hold of Levi's face once more.

"This may sting a bit," Hange warned and then started cleaning the area around the wound. She moved the handkerchief slowly, carefully cleansing all the blood, dirt and dried leaves. When her handkerchief came in contact with the wound, Levi hissed and tried to move away, but Hange held him tightly. "I'm sorry, sorry, but I'm almost finished. If you want, I can kiss it better?" Hange giggled.

"Shut up," Levi hissed. Hange's words worked though, he was so embarrassed by her offer that pain had faded considerably.

When Hange was finished cleaning Levi's wound, she grabbed the bandages and started carefully wrapping them around his head.

"Where is my team?" Levi asked Hange, while she was busy treating to his wounds.

"Don't worry, they are with my guys. Moblit will lead them to the outpost to regroup with the others."

"Good, thank you for taking care of them," Levi looked up at Hange to make sure she heard his words and knew they were sincere.

"It's not me you should be thanking, Moblit's the one who will be dealing with them."

"Then I'll make sure to thank him as well," Levi tried to shrug, but in his attempt to do so, he moved his broken arm and a sudden jolt of pain shot through him. Noticing his wince, Hange rolled her eyes and glared at him.

"Try not to move too much, will you?"

"Fine," Levi grumbled. "By the way, how are you going to take me to the outpost?"

"I won't," Hange answered simply. "Moblit will return for us with our horses."

"So when you finish tending to my wounds, we'll be just sitting there? Waiting for others to come and save us?"

"That's the idea, yes. Now wait here for a while," Hange quickly got up to her feet and headed into the woods. "I'll be right back!"

Hange was done with bandaging Levi's head wound. So now she had to find something that can help her immobilize his broken extremities. When she found suitable pieces of wood, she returned to Levi.

Hange took off her cloak, put it on the ground and then helped Levi lay down on it. She studied his fractured extremities. She needed to set his broken bones straight. And that might be more than a little painful. Hange knew from experience.

"What are you waiting for, four-eyes?" Levi dryly inquired. "C'mon, I can take a little pain. I've had worse in my life."

"Are you sure?" Hange asked. More than anything, she didn't want to hurt Levi. She wasn't a doctor, what if she did something wrong?

Levi raised his head and made a direct eye contact with Hange, staring at her intently. "I trust you, Hange. So let's be done with it already."

"Alright," Hange pushed Levi back on the ground. Then she took a deep breath and laid her hands on Levi's leg. With a quick and smooth motion she set the bone straight. Levi gritted his teeth and his breathing became irregular, his chest rising and falling with rapid breaths but he hadn't even screamed.

"Levi?" Hange tentatively asked, gingerly touching his hand.

"I'm fine, fine, you can continue." Levi replied in a strained voice.

Nodding with grim determination, Hange repeated the same action on Levi's arm. Then she proceeded to fixate both of his extremities with a piece of wood.

"All your wounds are treated now!" Hange said more cheerfully than she felt. She hated causing people pain, even if it was for their own good. She also hated seeing Levi in pain. It made her hands tremble and her heart ache. "You can rest now." She added, pushing his hair back from his sweaty forehead.

"Hange?" Levi called after a few moments of silence. "It's really uncomfortable laying on the ground."

"Oh? I can give you my jacket if you want," she was already starting to take her jacket off when Levi's voice stopped her.

"No, that's... That's not what I meant. I... I meant," Levi stopped and then cursed. Hange saw how his healthy arm tightened into a fist. She cocked her head to the side, curious as to what had caused Levi such distress.

"Can I... Can I lay my head on your knees?" Levi asked awkwardly. "Please?"

Levi’s voice was quiet and strained and he purposefully avoided eye contact. Hange couldn't stop herself from laughing. She glanced at Levi's face and confirmed her suspicion. He was blushing. Hange's laughing intensified.

"Oi, fuck you," Levi turned his head away, taking her laugh as a refusal.

"No, no, Levi, wait," Hange sat next to him and then carefully laid his head on her knees. "Are you comfortable now?"

"Yes," Levi said in the most dignified voice he could master at the moment. "Thank you." He whispered quietly.

Hange smiled in reply and her fingers started to slowly comb through Levi's hair.

Both of them were quietly enjoying the soft, calm atmosphere. With Hange petting his hair, Levi felt like a spoiled cat. Surprisingly, he didn’t mind it and he actually liked the feeling of Hange's gentle hand in his hair. Well, maybe more than just liked. Laying there, with Hange’s warmth enveloping and soothing him, Levi thought that he wouldn’t mind spending the rest of his life in that exact place. Even though, he felt excruciating pain from all of his wounds, Levi couldn’t remember the last time when he was so relaxed.

"Four-eyes?" Levi called after some silence.

"Hm?"

"What if a titan appears?"

"Then I'll get up and fight with him. By the way," Hange stopped playing with Levi's hair to glare at him. Levi almost whined in protest at a loss of contact, he already missed the warmth of Hange’s fingers. "What did you plan on doing if a titan appeared?"

Levi looked away, embarrassed. "I... I would have thought of something."

Hange sighed. "Idiot, you should have let one of your teammates stay behind with you. They were so worried about you!"

"Well, they shouldn't worry about me! It's my responsibility to care about them, not theirs."

"Levi, whether you want it or not, it goes both ways. You care for them and they care for you. I know you are very strong but sometimes even you have to let other people help you and protect you. It doesn't make you weak or useless."

"Yes, yes, I know," Levi said, annoyed by the fact that Hange always, _always_ knew what to say to him. Sometimes it scared how much she knew him and how easily she could read his thoughts. But more often than not, he was grateful to her for always being there for him and for understanding him.

It got quiet for another long moment. The silence was broken by Hange’s sudden fit of giggles. Levi stared at her, confused as to what had caused her mischief this time.

"I think Petra has a crush on you!" Hange finally exclaimed.

"No, she doesn't."

"Yes, she does. When she looks at you, I can practically see the stars in her eyes."

"Shut up, four-eyes," Hange was probably just kidding. Or seeing something that wasn’t really there. Petra couldn't like him, right? Petra was his subordinate and if she really had a crush on him that would make things… awkward.

Hange continued, paying no attention to Levi's annoyance. "You know, I think today she fell in love with you even more. The way you gallantly saved her and then got hurt in the process! If I were in Petra's place, this gesture would surely swipe me off my feet."

"You're so stupid, Hange," Levi huffed. Hange was surely talking nonsense. Levi had saved her more than a dozen times. However, she didn't seem to be swept of her feet in the slightest. Much to Levi's dismay. "And if you think that saving someone is some kind of declaration of love, then surely you must remember how many times I saved you. And a few times I got even in more dangerous situations than today."

"Huh?" Hange looked at him curiously. "Just what do you mean by that, Levi?"

"You're smart, four-eyes. Try to guess it yourself." Levi carefully studied Hange's expression, committing it to his mind. It wasn't often that he saw a confused Hange. And he couldn’t remember when was the last time it was _him_ who successfully managed to confuse Hange. She was so smart, always knew the answer before anyone in the room started to even think of a question. But now she was at a loss because of something _Levi_ said. And he enjoyed it, he loved teasing Hange and gauging new reactions out of her.

Hange opened her mouth, but, unfortunately, Levi didn't find out what she was going to say to him. Because in that exact moment they heard the sound of approaching hooves. Levi was secretly glad to be interrupted. Despite all of his bravado, he wasn't ready to tell Hange just what exactly he felt for her.

In the meanwhile, Hange gently raised Levi's head from her knees and got up. She walked to the edge of the clearing to check who was coming. Then she turned around with a smile on her face.

"It's Moblit!" She shouted happily. "And he brought a cart!"

"Thank god," Levi muttered quietly to himself. He really didn't want to find out what a pleasure it was to right a horse with broken arm and leg.

Soon Levi saw the approaching riders with his own eyes. To his surprise, Moblit wasn't the only who came, his whole squad came along as well. As he looked at the relief on their faces, Levi smiled. Maybe, Hange was right and he should let people take care of him. After all, it felt good to know that there are people out there who gave a damn about him.

* * *

Petra was beyond relieved and happy to see Captain Levi. From the looks of it, his wounds were treated and he looked a lot better than the last time she saw him. So the first thing, Petra did when she got off her horse, she walked up to Squad Leader Hange, took her hands into hers and squeezed them tightly.

"Thank you," she told her sincerely.

"It's nothing, Petra,” Hange smiled a little shyly. “Now go, your Captain probably wants to see you," Hange watched with a smile as the girl sprinted after her comrades towards her superior.

Hange walked up to Moblit, who just got off his horse.

"Is everything alright?" She asked her right-hand man.

"Of course, Squad Leader. The rest of the squad is back at the outpost with Commander Erwin."

"Good job," Hange squeezed Moblit's shoulder with affection.

"Your horse, Squad Leader," Moblit passed Hange the reins of her brown horse. She took them with a smile of gratitude. Before she could get on her horse, she heard Levi's voice.

"Oluo, take Hange's horse with you, alright?" Levi ordered. He was already sitting in a cart and from the looks of it, he felt quite comfortable there.

"Huh?" Hange didn’t let go of her horse's reins and turned to Levi with a look of indignation. "What the fuck Levi? You decided to leave me alone?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "You're exceptionally stupid today, four-eyes."

It took Hange more than a second. But then she finally got it.

She grinned widely and then handed the reins, she was tightly holding in her arms, to Oluo. With the same shit-eating grin, she got on the cart and then plopped down next to Levi. She wrapped her hands around his shoulders.

"Are you comfortable now, Levi?" She teased sweetly.

"Yeah, it'll do." Levi replied, moving even closer to Hange and hiding a small smile.

* * *

In the next day, they were back in the safety of the walls. After she took a shower, cleaned her horse and filled her report, Petra hurried to the infirmary. It must be pretty boring for Captain Levi to spend the whole day there all by himself, so Petra decided to pay him a visit. She prepared his favorite tea and headed to the infirmary.

When she entered the infirmary, Petra was surprised to see how empty it was. She thought that after expedition, it would be overflowing with patients, but this time their trip beyond the walls had a surprisingly low death toll. There were only a few soldiers who died. And Captain Levi was the only one who got so seriously wounded.

Slowly, Petra made her way to Captain's bed. Even though his bed was shielded by a curtain, Petra could already see the outline of his body. As she quietly approached, Petra heard a low voice. Immediately, Petra recognized that it belonged to her Captain.

"Oi, Hange," he said and, of course, Petra thought to herself, of course Squad Leader Hange also decided to visit Captain Levi. "My head hurts."

"Should I call the doctor?"

"No, no... Remember what you said back in the forest? About kissing it better? Does the offer still stand?"

Petra heard Squad Leader Hange's quiet and embarrassed giggle. Petra could share the sentiment, she also felt her own cheeks flaming. She probably shouldn't have heard this. She should leave right now, Petra tried to tell herself. But some part of her, a very large part, wanted to know what would happen next. The room was dark with only one candle burning near Captain Levi's bed, they wouldn't be able to see her. And it's not like Petra would tell anyone! Okay, maybe she would tell Nifa. But only if something really interesting would happen.

Not being able to see her two superiors, Petra relied on her hearing to find out what was happening behind that curtain. She saw as Squad Leader Hange's shadow moved, presumably to lean in and gave Captain Levi a kiss. Petra felt her cheeks redden even more. She really should go, like right now, before they notice her. Petra was ready to go, she even took a small step back. But then her Captain's voice stopped her once again.

"It still hurts, Hange."

"Oh? Did I do it wrong?"

"Of course, you did it wrong. You kissed my temple!"

"But that's where your wound is!" Hange exclaimed.

Petra barely stopped herself from giggling. In her imagination, she could almost see Squad Leader Hange's confused face. She was probably scratching her head right now, her eyebrows furrowing in thought as she tried to understand what she had done wrong. And Petra's Captain was probably glaring at her with a mix of annoyance and exasperation.

"To make me feel better you should kiss my lips, you idiot," Levi explained.

And yep, Petra decided, she really needed to make a haste retreat. She started to slowly and quietly make her way out of infirmary. She had to move very carefully, so her trail with tea wouldn't make any noise. She would prepare the tea for Captain Levi some other time.

As she tiptoed through the too quiet room, Petra could hear the sound of a kiss Captain Levi and Squad Leader Hange shared and a quiet sigh they both emitted.

When she was almost at the door, Petra heard Hange's voice once more.

"Did it help?" Squad Leader Hange's tone was teasing yet gentle.

"Mm, it did. But you probably need to do it once more, though. Just to make sure."

Hearing the clear delight in Squad Leader Hange’s laugh, Petra smiled, happy for her superiors. Looking down at her tray with two cups of tea, Petra decided she should share it with someone else. It would be a shame to drink such good tea by herself.

As Petra was thinking with whom she should share it with, her mind supplied her with an image of Oluo. He was an idiot, sure, and it irritated Petra when he tried to copy Captain Levi, but. But he was kinda cute in an annoying, awkward sort of way. Despite his stupidity, Petra liked to spend time with him. So without thinking too much of her reasons, Petra headed to Oluo's room with a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> this is entirely self-endulgent bc im bored  
> so!!! send me some prompts if you have them!!  
> my tumblr is fanmoose12 :)


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